Killingsworth, Hoosiers hold off Badgers, keep NCAA hopes alive

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Marco Killingsworth and Marshall Strickland
dominated the second half Friday, combining for 28 points, as
Indiana held off Wisconsin 61-56 in the Big Ten tournament
quarterfinals.

It was the Hoosiers' fifth straight win since coach Mike Davis
announced his resignation last month. Killingsworth scored 14 of
his 20 points in the second half, while Strickland added 14 of his
16 points in the final 20 minutes. Killingsworth finished with 12
rebounds.

Indiana (18-10) also solidified its hopes for an NCAA tournament
bid by reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2003. It
now faces No. 7 Ohio State, after the top seed survived a scare
from Penn State 63-56.

Fourth-seeded Wisconsin (19-11) was led by Alando Tucker with 20
points and eight rebounds. Brian Butch added 12 points, and
freshman Kevin Gullikson scored all 10 of his points in the first
half.

It's the first time in three years the Badgers have not played
for the tournament title, and they must now wait until the
postseason to try for their fourth straight 20-win season.

Indiana, the fifth seed, rallied after another dreadful first
half. It shot 31.8 percent from the field, endured a 9:18 scoring
drought, was 1-of-10 on 3-pointers and scored a season-low 15
points.

But the Hoosiers trailed only 19-15 at halftime, primarily
because Wisconsin shot 25 percent from the field and Tucker was
limited to nine minutes because of foul trouble.

In the second half, the Hoosiers were much more proficient. They
quickly tied the score twice, at 19 and 21, retook the lead when
Marco Killingsworth posted up for a layup with 17:41 left and
needed less than five minutes to match their first-half scoring
total. By then, the Hoosiers led 30-24.

Indiana extended the lead to as much as nine points twice, but
the Badgers countered with a 9-1 run midway through the second half
to retake a 46-45 lead. After Michael Flowers' driving layup gave
Wisconsin a 49-48 lead with 6:48 left, the Hoosiers scored seven
straight points to make it 55-49 and never trailed again.